Sugar industry central to survival of rural communities – Pres Ali at GAWU 50th Anniversary
The survival of Guyana’s sugar industry remains critical to the stability of rural communities, President Dr Mohamed Irfaan Ali said, as he recalled the severe hardships faced by villages dependent on sugar between 2015 and 2020.
President Ali made the statement while speaking at the Guyana Agricultural and General Workers Union (GAWU) 50th Anniversary ceremony on Thursday at the Arthur Chung Conference Centre (ACCC).
He reminded the audience that during the 2015-2020 period, agricultural lands were abandoned, infrastructure deteriorated, and thousands of workers were left without income. Communities that relied heavily on the industry were forced to confront uncertainty and economic decline.
Against this backdrop, “The sugar industry remains too essential to the rural economy to be allowed to collapse,” the president said while defending the government’s massive investments over the years.
“Entire communities depend on it, not only for employment, but for social stability and economic activity. Shops, schools, transportation systems, and local enterprises are all interconnected with the fortunes of sugar,” the president underscored.
Since 2020, the government has poured massive resources into resuscitating the sugar industry, including reinvesting in production, mechanisation, reengaging workers, and restoring operational capacity across estates.
However, President Ali acknowledged that rebuilding the sector is a complex and long-term process, noting that the extent of the industry’s dismantling requires sustained effort, strategic investment, and collaboration among stakeholders.
To this end, he urged continued unity, collaboration, and commitment to building a sustainable sugar industry, an empowered workforce, and a resilient national economy.
“Let us combine our efforts, our experience, and our shared commitment to restore the sugar industry to its state of viability,” he said, adding that, “the challenges are real, but so too is our collective capacity to overcome them.”
The president also used the occasion to outline broader economic recovery efforts since 2020, particularly in traditional sectors, including bauxite and forestry.
He noted that nearly 7,000 sugar workers were displaced between 2015 and 2020, along with more than 600 job losses in the bauxite industry and widespread income loss affecting approximately 30,000 persons in the forestry sector.
Since returning to office, the government has supported the reopening of sugar estates, rehiring approximately 4,600 workers, and expanding employment in the industry to about 8,100 workers.
Additional measures included the payment of a five per cent retroactive increase to sugar workers, amounting to $212 million, $1.3 billion in cash grants to laid-off workers, and $285 million in payments to workers affected by factory downtime.
“The People’s Progressive Party did not waver from that foundational role of standing with the workers because our foundational principle is based on the workers, working for the workers, working for the upliftment of the workers.”
President Ali also highlighted a range of social and economic policies implemented by the government that support workers and their families.
These include expanded access to free education, the “Because We Care” cash grant, improved healthcare services such as cardiac and cancer treatment, increased old-age pensions, housing development, and investments in agriculture through drainage and irrigation systems.
President Ali also recognised GAWU’s historical role in advocating for workers’ rights, describing the union as a central force in Guyana’s labour movement. He noted that the union has consistently defended workers’ rights to fair wages, improved working conditions, and dignity, even during periods of political and economic difficulty.
GAWU’s President, Seepaul Narine, was among several union leaders to address the event. He recalled the 2015-2020 period as one of the most difficult chapters for the sugar industry.
He recognised the role of the current administration, led by President Ali, in restoring hope for many workers and their families.
GAWU received formal recognition in 1976, paving the way for five decades of unwavering advocacy, resilience, and service to sugar workers across Guyana.
Its 50th anniversary is being observed under the theme “Born of Struggle, Built for Justice: Celebrating 50 years of GAWU’s recognition in the sugar industry.”
Also present at the ceremony were leaders from local and international unions, Senior Minister within the Office of the President with responsibility for Finance, Dr Ashni Singh; Minister of Agriculture, Zulfikar Mustapha; Minister within the Ministry of Agriculture, Vickash Ramkisson; Minister of Labour and Manpower Planning, Keoma Griffith and Minister of Education, Sonia Parag.